[UncleVanya]

On the battery, I'm pretty sure that the macbook uses hardware (a fuel gauge chip) on the battery in order to do this. It is a very difficult problem to report accurate charge in a replaceable battery system, as when a new battery is swapped in, the age and charge levels are unknown.

My Lenovo and every other laptop with replaceable battery works this way. My cell phones with replaceable batteries work this way. My view is that the camera companies are just not seeing the need. Technically this isn't impossible - the accuracy of the % may be off over time but there is a process for battery calibration in phones that likely would work with cameras as well.

[narual]

My Lenovo and every other laptop with replaceable battery works this way. My cell phones with replaceable batteries work this way. My view is that the camera companies are just not seeing the need. Technically this isn't impossible - the accuracy of the % may be off over time but there is a process for battery calibration in phones that likely would work with cameras as well.

Measuring State-of-charge - Battery University

If they weren't using lithium batteries it'd be easy, but he's kind of right, with the lithium ones, measuring a specific battery isn't too bad, but when you can swap them out easily and charge them from outside the device, it may not work so well.

[UncleVanya]

Measuring State-of-charge - Battery University

If they weren't using lithium batteries it'd be easy, but he's kind of right, with the lithium ones, measuring a specific battery isn't too bad, but when you can swap them out easily and charge them from outside the device, it may not work so well.

True but my phones do it. I completely understand the problem and I'm not saying it is trivial but not insurmountable. Chipped batteries keep track of charge cycles and age and try to inform the system about expected capacity. That said recalibration is needed at times. Battery says 50% left and then dies a moment later isn't uncommon with phones as the battery ages.

[lithedreamer]

True but my phones do it. I completely understand the problem and I'm not saying it is trivial but not insurmountable. Chipped batteries keep track of charge cycles and age and try to inform the system about expected capacity. That said recalibration is needed at times. Battery says 50% left and then dies a moment later isn't uncommon with phones as the battery ages.

Right, but chipped batteries would mean more expensive batteries, more engineering time spent on embedded software -which has to be much more efficient than your average smartphone- and it still would end up with imperfect readings as the batteries aged, as you say.

[wed7]

Red seems nice, or how about R-G-B options like the histogram? White seems old and sometimes difficult to see during daylight shooting

[victormeldrew]

Personally I would prefer a split prism in the default OVF focus screen and hey...and while we're dreaming, why not a split prism simulator on the live view if you like using it. Personally I only use live view in private or in an emergency, because it makes me look like a tourist.

[koekie]

Yes more colour options would be great. Red would already be a bit better. Should be possible in a firmware update...but doubt if it is gonna happen

[markdesmarais]

True but my phones do it. I completely understand the problem and I'm not saying it is trivial but not insurmountable. Chipped batteries keep track of charge cycles and age and try to inform the system about expected capacity. That said recalibration is needed at times. Battery says 50% left and then dies a moment later isn't uncommon with phones as the battery ages.

The biggest difference is that your phone and/or laptop contain the charger circuitry, so can measure the amount of energy put into the cell(s) and use that information. Without adding HW (cost) to the battery, a very difficult problem. I've been messing with lithium batteries for my day job for the last 8 years or so... I've been around this problem a couple of times. ;-)

[UncleVanya]

The biggest difference is that your phone and/or laptop contain the charger circuitry, so can measure the amount of energy put into the cell(s) and use that information. Without adding HW (cost) to the battery, a very difficult problem. I've been messing with lithium batteries for my day job for the last 8 years or so... I've been around this problem a couple of times. ;-)

Sorry - that is true; but there are external chargers for cell batteries. I had these for my palm pre specifically. Granted I'm agreeing it can increase inaccuracy in the battery percentages.

EDIT: I re-read this and it sounds wrong as written. I didn't mean to take that tone. Let me try again:

I realize that this is true and helps with accuracy. I have had external battery chargers with some cell phones in the past and I think it did increase inaccuracy in the percentages but part of that may be that the dumb chargers didn't do temp sensing and were too rapid. However useful percentage reporting might seem to be I agree that the accuracy might not be worth the effort now that I think about it.

[Tan68]

True but my phones do it. I completely understand the problem and I'm not saying it is trivial but not insurmountable. Chipped batteries keep track of charge cycles and age and try to inform the system about expected capacity. That said recalibration is needed at times. Battery says 50% left and then dies a moment later isn't uncommon with phones as the battery ages.

I had an old battery get to this point. It still had 50% but died because it couldn't supply the current needed to drive a bright screen and whatever else. The battery started to fail this way on a trip/vacation and i learned I could limp along with dim screen and cell radios off.. less current but I could still type up notes as needed.

So, the 50% rating was correct
Battery just no longer had cojones oyos

[victormeldrew]

I know it sounds like a trivial thing...a battery gauge that just works - accurately and reliably - like a fuel gauge does, say.
Please, for the love of god, if you have the answer please patent it and start raking in the royalties. It is one of the holy grails of battery engineering...and battery engineering is the hottest property around at the moment.